Slayers
Slayers are a uniquely Dwarf instituation. Any Dwarf who has lost honour - through oathbreaking, succumbing to fear, or any other kind of disgrace - may become a Slayer in the hope of redeeming himself through a heroic death. Troll Slayers and Giant Slayers are covered in WFRP rulebook; while these are the classes of Slayer most often encountered, they are not the only ones. Occasionally, by luck (good or bad, depending on one's perspective), circumstance, or just being too mean to die, a Giant Slayer will survive his career without finding the redemption of death. Such individuals become Dragon Slayers, and - if death still eludes them - Daemon Slayers. Troll Slayers Becoming a Slayer is not so much a career choice as a means of atonement. If a Dwarf is disgraced, humiliated, or disowned by his clan, his only possible redemption is through a heroic death against overwhelming odds. Dwarfs who carry such a burden of shame join the ancient cult of Grimnir the Fearless. They cover their bodies with ritual tattoos including Grimnir's rune, dye their hair orange, spike it with animal fat, and become Trollslayers. With the exception of one weapon and one chain mail coat (if they own one) all the Trollslayer's former possessions are either given to those he has wronged, or, if the circumstances of his disgrace do not involve a readily identifiable victim, they are distributed among his kin as if he had died unexpectedly. His name is stricken from the chronicles of his clan and guild, and he may no longer use his family name. Many Trollslayers adopt new names, to further distance themselves from their past. Trollslayers leave their clan and hold, adding the pain of exile to the shame that marks them. They wander the mountains, and many gravitate to embattled and besieged Dwarfholds, joing others of their kind to form battle units for the hold's army; the Trollslayer regiments of Karak Kadrin have won particular renown. Most, however, wander alone or with mixed groups of adventurers, seeking a redeeming death by hunting the most ferocious of beasts. While Trolls are the prey of choice, Trollslayers never pass up combat with other foes, and actively seek out odds that are greater than seven to one. Trollslayers suffer from periodic bouts of severe depression, which expresses itself in bouts of overeating, fasting, and alcohol and other stimulants. Those of a more outgoing temperament also spend a great deal of time boasting of their exploits and showing off their scars. Trollslayers wear exotic jewellery such as earrings and nose plugs, taken from the bodies of their foes. It is considered unforgivable to ask a Trollslayer about his past, especially regarding the circumstances of their disgrace, and the result of such enquiry is usually a swift and violent death. Dwarfs have very mixed feelings towards Slayers. They are disgraced outcasts whose word and life have no value, and this inspires contempt. But at the same time, their terrifying ferocity and suicidal bravery command the respect of this warrior race. Some look upon them with compassion, for a Dwarf's honour is a precious, fragile thing and any Dwarf might some day find himself in the same position, through weakness or bad luck. Then again, they are violent homicidal maniacs whose self-control is tenuous at best, and any Dwarf would rather have them out chasing Orcs than in his own hold. For their part, Trollslayers tend to avoid other Dwarfs, and the inevitable reminders of what they have lost. Dwarf adventurers and Trollslayers interact with a somewhat uncomfortable degree of formality, and will travel together so long as there are humans and others in the group to provide some separation between them. On rare occasions when when circumstances force a Trollslayer to spend time with a group of Dwarfs, he accepts this as the will of the Ancestor Gods, an added bitterness to his penance. Giant Slayers Although Trollslayers seek out a heroic death against overwhelming odds, some have the misfortune - in their eyes - of surviving. Whatever the odds, they cannot gain absolution by throwing their lives away - suicide is suicide, even if the weapon is an Orc rather than a knife or a rope. They must fight to the death with every ounce of their skill and strength, for to do otherwise simply compounds their disgrace. If a Trollslayer has the misfortune of slaying one or more Trolls and surviving, the Ancestor Gods have decreed that his shame is too great to be atoned so easily. He must become a Giant Slayer. As before, the Slayer may journey into the Dwarfholds and join a combat unit of Giant Slayers, but many continue their quest alone or with groups of adventurers. Giantslayers set their sights on larger, more dangerous prey - though of course, these clanless Dwarfs never pass up an opportunity to find a death that will wipe their honour clean. Under the strain of being continually denied the death that would bring redemption, Giant Slayers' grasp on sanity becomes over more tenuous. Their mood swings become more sudden, their bouts of depression become deeper, and they become more vulnerable to dependency upon alcohol and stimulants. Dragon Slayers Those Dwarfs who survive their careers as Giant Slayers become convinced that their disgrace is so terrible that the Ancestor Gods have denied them an hounourable death. They engage in a ritual that involves self-inflicted scarring. As well as giving expression to the Slayer's growing sense of self-loathing, the scarring ritual symbolises the Slayer's dedication to following the mythical exploits of Grimnir. Through this ritual, they become Dragon Slayers. Dragon Slayers are so rare that they were once thought to exist only in Dwarf armies. In fact, most Dragon Slayers travel alone, keeping away from any civilization. They shun all contract with Dwarfs, and only the most reckless and danger-seeking humans are suitable companions for the Dragon Slayer. Dragon Slayers frequent mountains, swamps, and other remote wilderness areas - anywhere that Dragons and more dangerous creatures might be found. Daemon Slayers Not all who hunt dragons find their death. Of those few who survive, most do so simply because dragons are so rare that they despair of ever finding one. These survivors, more convinced than ever that the Ancestor Gods have denied them the release of death, choose to follow in Grimnir's footsteps. They go to the far north, to the Chaos Wastes, and embark upon the path of the Daemon Slayer. At this point, most Slayers now believe that their inability to find honourable death has an entirely deeper meaning: Grimnir has found them worthy to help him close the warp gate. Daemon Slayers seem to have an uncanny sense of where Daemons can be found. Some are rumoured to have located isolated holds of daemonologists and Chaos wizards, and razed them to the gound. The Daemon Slayer also hunts the most dangerous creatures of Chaos. Enveloped in madness, only a remote corner of a Daemon Slayers' mind recognises any kinship, so they feel no need to shun other Dwarfs. Lesser Slayers will sometimes join a Daemon Slayer heading into the Chaos Wastes; they will invariably find the death they seek. Category:Rules Category:Careers